After originally being exported illegally in 2001 from Africa to a zoo in
Taiping, Malaysia, the four gorillas – now about seven years old - have spent
the last two years at the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, South
Africa.&nbsp;The decision to return the gorillas to Cameroon became
public this week.&nbsp;IFAW today announced their offer to pay for the
costs of the transfer of the gorillas to the Limbe Wildlife Centre sanctuary
upon their return to Cameroon.&nbsp;“The Government of Malaysia has made
the correct decision, based on

“This is our fifth painted plane,” said Cape Air President Dan Wolf. “We love
taking art off the walls and into the skies and having IFAW as a partner this
time around along with Jürek’s artistry in his depiction of the humpback whales,
makes it a total winner.”

Cape Air and IFAW commissioned famed airbrush artist Jürek to paint the
plane to bring whale protection to the public eye.

From left, artist Jurek Zamoyski, Cape Air President, Dan Wolf, and Fred
O'Regan, President of IFAW are photographed after Wolf and O'Regan arrived in
the newest addition to Cape Air's &quot;Art in Flight&quot; series at the official
unveiling of the plane at the Cape Air hangar in Hyannis, MA.

“It is high time Namibia stopped culling Cape Fur seals,” said Jason Bell-Leask,
IFAW Director Southern Africa.&nbsp;The Namibian Government justifies
its annual seal hunt by claiming that the seal population poses a threat to the
local fishing industry.

Meeting in London this week the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), a regulatory body of the International Marine Organisation (IMO), approved a 1,500 kilometre long, 35 to 135 nautical miles wide length of coastline, a “Special Area” in need of enhanced protection.

More than 25 countries from North America, Africa, South America, Europe,South-East Asia and the Caribbean as well as Russia overwhelmingly voiced their support for the proposal and subsequent approval.

“It is a historic victory for endangered primates and marine mammals, for
environmental groups and for the general public,” said Beatriz Bugeda, Director
of IFAW Latin America. “This decision is critical to conservation policy in
Mexico, which was seriously eroded by environmental authorities in recent
years.”

In 2003, the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT)
illegally authorized the importation of 28 dolphins from the Solomon Islands to
Mexican-based commercial dolphinariums.

This admission was made during closing remarks yesterday by Senior Counsel
for the zoos, Dr John Griffiths, when Administrative Appeals Tribunal President
the Honourable Justice Downes asked him to explain why the elephants (intended
for importation into Australia from Thailand) were not destined for Western
Plains Zoo (NSW) or Werribee Zoo (VIC).

This followed startling testimony given earlier in the hearing when, Gary
Miller, Elephant Manager for the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales, said
if it was his decision he would have imported the elephants to Dubbo not Taron

The Hurricane Katrina animals have hopscotched across the state of Louisiana;
this is their third relocation in three weeks. After their initial rescue from
the floods of New Orleans, they were brought to a temporary shelter in Gonzales,
then moved to Lake Charles and are now on their way to Shreveport, LA.

“IFAW is committed to doing all we can to help these animals, not only for
their own sake, but on behalf of their owners who have lost everything,” said
IFAW’s A.J. Cady.

Dogs like this one could be relocated
for the third time since Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans. IFAW is working
around the clock to assist these animals and keep them out of Hurricane Rita's
path.

Once rescued form the floodwaters, IFAW transports the animals to the
official triage shelter in Gonzales, LA where they receive urgent health care as
necessary. The facility currently houses nearly 2,000 rescued animals including
horses, dogs, cats, and others.